Atlético Nacional published its convocados on the morning of Monday, June 8, 2026, ahead of the return leg of the Liga BetPlay final against Junior at the Atanasio Girardot, with a 3-0 hole to erase from the first leg in Barranquilla.
The club listed a possible starting XI that points to an aggressive response at home: Harlen ‘Chipi Chipi’ Castillo; Andrés Felipe Román; César Haydar; William Tesillo; Samuel Velásquez; Jorman Campuzano; Juan Zapata; Eduard Bello; Nicolás Rodríguez; Andrés Sarmiento; and Alfredo Morelos. Nacional said 41 of the 51 players available across both squads have won the Liga BetPlay at some point in their careers, as the club pursues its 19th star.
The timing is immediate: the return leg is set for Monday at Atanasio Girardot, where Nacional trained on Sunday and staged a banderazo to underline the role the club expects fans to play in trying to overturn the three-goal deficit. The lineup choices, particularly the selection of experienced midfielders and forwards, signal an intent to press early and feed service to Morelos and Bello.
William Tesillo addressed the task directly, saying the team did not start the first leg the way a final demands but that belief remains high. He said Nacional trusts that, with the support of its people, it can mount a comeback while acknowledging there are corrections to make from the Barranquilla match.
Diego Arias warned the team must respond fast. He noted Junior exploited turnovers and struck quickly in the first leg, and that lapses cost Nacional the second goal; the match unfolded to Junior’s advantage. Arias said the group must grow, learn and recover quickly for the Monday fixture with their supporters.
Those comments underline the immediate tactical questions the convocatoria raises: can Nacional patch the defensive lapses that allowed quick counters, and will the chosen eleven supply enough creativity and ball retention to break down a Junior side that arrived in Medellín with a comfortable margin?
The math is simple and stark: a three-goal deficit. Nacional’s listed starters combine domestic experience and attacking firepower, but overturning 3-0 in a final requires both an early goal pressure and defensive steadiness to avoid conceding away goals that would complicate any comeback. The club’s public emphasis on fan support — and the banderazo at training — makes clear where Nacional sees part of the solution.
Monday’s return leg at Atanasio Girardot will decide whether the convocados and the projected starting XI can convert belief into results. For now the unresolved question is narrow and urgent: can Atlético Nacional erase a three-goal margin in front of its supporters and claim the 19th star, or will the first-leg failings prove too costly?
